Wisconsin. The word on everyone’s lips. After a nearly 2-year-long recall effort, Democrats in Wisconsin came up short and were not able to beat Republican Scott Walker after he pushed for union busting efforts in the state. The big story is money in elections after the Supreme Court case Citizens United. Outside money flooding into the state to support Walker and he had a nearly 8 to 1 money advantage. The loss in Wisconsin should wake up Democrats as we head into the Fall especially since Republicans have been beating the Obama campaign’s fundraising of late.

House Democrats have proposed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $10. It won’t pass because, as you remember, the House Democrats are still the minority in Congress. But we like we’re their heads are at and hopefully after 2012 this type of measure will have a chance at passing. Senate Republicans block fair pay act

Another federal court has ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. Another big loss for Speaker John Boehners’ (R-OH) efforts independent of the Obama administration who has long since ceased its defense of DOMA in the courts.

Battleground polling update: President Obama has a lead in most of the battleground state polling but Mitt Romney edges out the president in Florida and Ohio. Keep an eye on these numbers they are much more important than any national tracking poll.

The “controversy” over the Justice Department and what is dubbed as “Fast and Furious” got heated at congressional hearings this week while Attorney General Eric Holder testified before the House Judiciary Committee. The investigation into a failed drug trafficking investigation has been a huge deal with House Republicans but for most Americans focused on jobs Fast and Furious is a movie starring Vin Diesel.